The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1887-03-02
THE RIGHT DOCTRINE.
Congressman Bragg Deals Out Plain
Facts on the Pension Bill.
The Presidents Veto Sustained BY a
Good Vote.
OLD SOLDIERS NOT PAUPERS.

In the debate in the House on the
pauper pension act. Congressman
Bragg, of Wisconsin, an ex.federal
officer, made the following eloquent
and forclble speech in support of the
presidents veto. 1t Is fraught with
good, sound sense, and should voice
the sentimen. Of every true Ameri-
can:
MIR. Bragg of Wisconsin SAID that
the time had arrived when the pen
sion question should receive more
than a casual considerati 1t was
time for the members of the house
to get out from the roseate bubble
IN which they lived in Washington,
prepared for them bv claim agents,
and look after the interests of the
real soldier and the business interests
OF the country. They had drifted
along impelled by species OF SYM
pathetic impulse, regardless of rea-
son or Judgment, until the period
was reached which had eliminated
IN the presentation and passage OF
one of the most scandalous bills
which had ever been sent to presi-
dent for his Signature. The people
of the country, without regard to
party, had every reason to be thank
full that this bill had been presented
to an executive who had had back
bone enough to meet the situation.
In few years, the speaker said,
the soldiers of the country (not the
bummers) would have arrived at an
age when they could come to con-
gress and demand as a right-not
ask as a charity-that provision be
made for them. Congress should
not bankrupt the treasury before that
time arrived by yielding to the de.
| mands of deserters. coffee coolers
and bounty jumpers. If the gentle
man from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bayne)
would read the National Tribune,
published in Washington by men
who received from $25 900 to $45,-
600 month as fees from pensioners
blood money taken from the SOL
d,ers whom they pretended to love
|-he would find IN every column
some abuse of the president and oi
those who thought differently from
them as to the propriety of this meas.
ure. Such newspapers as that
which professed to be the friend o'
the soldiers, were such friends a:
vultures were the friends of deae
bodles-because they fed and fatten
ed on them. 1t had been charged
that he was not friend OF tine sol
dier. To that he replied that III
man who had served with his troop
in the field for tour years, who hat
followed the starry flag in fifty o
sixty pitched battles, would forge
; them. 1t was for that class OF sol
diers that he stood here to-daY-t
defend them against the imputatio
cast upon them by the passage of
pauper pension bill.
FACTS PLAINLY SPOKEN.
No man, the speaker said, VIII
had enjoyed the exquisite delight
riding down a line that was wave,
ing and breaking in the presence
, the enemy and heard the cheer {,
the three times three 90 up-a chez
of confidence and 10y that q lead
had come-could ever forget his con
rades. No one that had ever SET
those men rushing into battl
, thoughtless of themselves and
=, their homes. ready to lay down the
lives for their country, could ev
- forget them or would be willing th
they should be classed as paupe
\ and placed on the roll with the cof
Y coolers of the army. The men W
y advocated this bill were not t
ID friends of the soldier. They adv
Gated this bill-manv of them-si'
= ply because the men could vo